As one of the world's top competitive surfers, Santa Ana's Courtney Conlogue uses her strong surfing skills to inspire surf fans. (Photo by ANA VENEGAS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER/SCNG)

Professional surfer Courtney Conlogue of Santa Ana poses for a photo after winning her heat Thursday in the Swatch Women's Pro held at Trestles at San Onofre State Beach earlier this year. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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Courtney Conlogue of Santa Ana surfs in her heat in the Swatch Women's Pro held at Trestles at San Onofre State Beach. Conlogue won the heat earlier this year. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Courtney Conlogue walks into the water during Swatch Women's Pro at Lower Trestles in Septemeber. (Photo by Kyusung Gong, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Bio: The Santa Ana surfer has been a force in pro surfing for the past two years, twice finishing a close second to different champions. Although the title has eluded her, she earned more than $270,000 surfing around the world.

Why she is an influencer:Conlogue is a role model for girls and young women who admire her strength and skills as a competitive surfer.

Biggest challenge: “Conquering dreams on a daily basis. I wake and try to be the best person I can be every day, and sometimes that’s not always easy.”

Thoughts on women’s surfing: “I believe it’s improved a lot in the past few years. I think it’s growing rapidly.”

Inspiration: “My goal and my dreams; trying to be the best athlete and person I can be every day.”

Can’t live without:Family.

What’s next: “Enjoying the holiday and then going into my next season, 2017, and attacking for a world title.”

Laylan Connelly started as a journalist in 2002 after earning a degree in journalism from the University of Southern California. Through the years, she has covered several cities for The Orange County Register, starting as a beat reporter in Irvine before focusing on coastal cities such as Newport Beach, Dana Point and Laguna Beach. In 2007, she was selected for a prestigious Knight New Media fellowship focusing on digital media at UC Berkeley, where she learned skills to adapt to the ever-changing online landscape. Using a web-based approach, she turned her love for the ocean into a full-time gig as the paper’s beaches reporter. The unique beat allows her to delve into coastal culture by covering everything from the countless events dotting the 42 miles of coastline, to the business climate of the surf industry, to the fascinating wildlife that shows up on the shores. Most importantly, she takes pride in telling stories of the people who make the beaches so special, whether they are surfers using the ocean to heal, or the founders of major surf brands who helped spawn an entire culture, or people who tirelessly fight to keep the coast pristine and open for all to enjoy. She’s a world traveler who loves to explore the slopes during winter months or exotic surf spots around the globe. When she’s not working, or maybe while she's researching a story, you can find her longboarding at her favorite surf spots at San Onofre or Doheny.